Jealous

Summary:

Written for the prompt: "Arthur goes on a blind date and Merlin isn't jealous. Because they're just friends. Except when Merlin runs into Arthur and said date and Arthur sees Merlin with someone else, things take an interesting turn."

Work Text:

“Hello, Merlin,” Gwaine said, brushing past him and already making himself at home by opening his fridge.

“I thought you were going out with Lancelot today,” Merlin said as he shut the door of his flat.

“He told me he couldn’t he couldn’t make it because Gwen was sick and he was going to take care of her,” he said, rolling his eyes as he bit into an apple.

Merlin smiled. “Oh come on, it is sweet.”

“It is just a cold, Merlin. She doesn’t need babysitting. But you know how Lance is,” Gwaine said. “So, I guess I am stuck with you for the day.”

“Gwaine, I am really not in the mood-”

"I'm not going to have you sitting here wallowing in self-pity all day," Gwaine stated. "Get dressed. We are going out."

"I'm not wallowing in self-pity," Merlin protested but couldn’t stop from Gwaine from dragging him to the bedroom.

They had talked on the phone a few hours ago, and Merlin had said that Arthur, his new roommate and the one Merlin had the fortune to have a crush on, was going on a date. He was starting to regret ever mentioning it as he watched Gwaine rummaging through his wardrobe.

Gwaine sighed like he was in great pain, and put the sweater back in the wardrobe. “There has to be something here for you to wear,” he muttered as he continued to mess with Merlin’s perfectly ordered clothes.

“Remind me again, why are you here?” Merlin asked, groaning internally at how long it is going to take him to put everything back to its place.

“No, no we are friends,” He said, finally realising what Gwaine had been trying to do. He blamed not getting it earlier on how many drinks he had.

“It just seemed like you were because-” Arthur fumbled with words and waved his hand around as if that could explain everything. At any other moment, Merlin would be teasing Arthur relentlessly over this, but right then didn’t seem like the right time.

“No, no, he just likes to joke.” He raised his eyebrows and bit his bottom lip. “Jealous?”

He meant it as a joke and expected Arthur to roll his eyes or to say one of his comebacks. Instead, Arthur’s eyes snapped to his lips and lingered there.

The next thing he knew, Arthur had leaned in and closed the distance between them. Their breaths mingled, and Merlin’s heartbeat sped inside his chest. Arthur’s lips were warm and tasted of mint.

When they broke apart reluctantly for air, Merlin rested his forehead against his.